Bullet that hit journo Shimul similar to that of mayor's gun

Finds ballistics test

Journalist Abdul Hakim Shimul might have been killed by a shotgun pellet fired from the gun of Shahzadpur municipality mayor Halimul Haque Miru, police said yesterday after getting the ballistics report of the firearm submitted to a Sirajganj court last week.

Shimul, Shahzadpur correspondent of the daily Samakal, was hit by a pellet in his head during a factional clash of the ruling Awami League on February 2 near the house of Miru in Shahzadpur town. He died of his injury the next day. The mayor allegedly opened fire, which led to his death.

After the clash, police recovered a shotgun from the mayor's house. Later, the firearm and the pellet recovered from the body of the victim were sent to the Criminal Investigation Department for a ballistics test.

"The firearm of Halimul Haque Miru was used during the clash. Ballistics experts found that shots had been fired from the shotgun. They also opined that the pellet recovered from the victim's body was similar to the ones of the firearm," Monir Hossain, investigation officer (IO) of the case, told The Daily Star, quoting the ballistics report.

According to the ballistics report of the firearm, it is clear that Shimul might have been killed by the pellet of the mayor's gun, said Monir, also officer-in-charge (investigation) of Shahzadpur Police Station.

Miru, who was suspended from Sirajganj district unit AL's organising secretary post after the incident, and his brothers Habibul Haque Mintu and Hasibul Haque Pintu are among 14 people detained in connection with the murder.

The victim's wife filed a murder case against 18 people, including the mayor and his two brothers.

Police were trying to detain the other accused, IO Monir said.

They have already got vital information about the incident (clash), he said.

Findings of the ballistics report would help the investigation into the murder case, said the police official and hoped to file a charge sheet in the case soon.

Miru managed to get his firearm licence from the Sirajganj district administration, showing his "fake freedom fighter certificate" in 2014. After the incident, the Muktijoddha Sangsad unit of Shahzadpur has recommended removing his name from the freedom fighter list for his "fake documents", said Binoy Kumar, commander of the Muktijoddha Sangsad unit.

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